The Letter
by Gottahavemyncis
Summary: Tim McGee's life hasn't been easy. This is the first of two stories addressing alternate views of my personal canon regarding Tim's childhood. Set prior to Gibbs joining NIS/NCIS. Includes Gibbs and his family, Mike Franks and of course Tim McGee. Family. See notes inside.
1. Chapter 1

The Letter

Prologue

Naval Air Station, Alameda CA, 1986

Commander Dan McGee sat at his desk staring at the notes he'd jotted down during the meeting with his attorney. It was time, past time, he knew but that didn't make it any easier. Finally, he put pen to paper, writing a letter he hoped would never have to be delivered. When he finished and put the document into a manila envelope with a few other items, he went back to his main task, updating his will. Once this was done and filed, he would take the steps he'd discussed with the attorney to get his family life back on track. He wondered if he should tell someone else, maybe Dave, his CO and best friend, or Jim, his brother-in-law. But it was too overwhelming and embarrassing; for now he'd keep the plan close, sharing with just his attorney. Once they moved, he'd tell the rest of the family, of course, the kids would know by then, he had that planned. Something was bothering him about all of this and after fidgeting about it for an hour or so, he wrote a note and attached it to the updates for the will.

He looked at the time; his baby girl would wake from her nap soon. He'd take her with him to the attorney's office; they'd be back before the boys came home from school. It was nice having the kids to himself while Natalie was away this week. Her doctor said she was suffering from stress, overwhelmed by having to take care of the kids and house by herself and that time away would do her good. Dan thought it would do even more good for his sons who he now realized hated and were terrified by his wife, their stepmother. Still, divorce was a huge step, the first one in his family and he still had no idea what to do about the children next time he was afloat.

Sighing, he missed Lily, wishing for probably the millionth time that she had started treatment earlier for the cancer that quickly mowed her down. But then he probably wouldn't have Patrick or Sarah. His second most constant wish was that he'd looked harder for a gestational host for Sarah and not jumped at the chance with Natalie; he saw now what a huge mistake that had been. Not as far as having his daughter but for his boys. What an idiot he'd been, not to mention too stubborn, grief-stricken and full of pride to listen to anyone or accept help. He hoped he could make things right for his sons.

He'd talk to Maisie, the kids' grandmother, and see if she could take them for a few weeks after school was out for the summer. At three, Sarah was old enough and at 9 and 8 respectively, Tim and Pat were excellent big brothers and he knew they'd behave well for their Grammie and Grandpa Drew.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the appearance of his little girl. "Done with my nap, Daddy!"

"Ok sweet cheeks, let's get you changed."

"C'n I have a snack?"

"Yes, good idea, let's do that first." He scooped up his daughter, tickling her as they headed for the kitchen, little Sarah shrieking with laughter.

Author's Notes:

1) If you're unfamiliar with my stories At What Price or Finding Home, this story won't make much sense. While I'd love you to read them, you can instead look at my profile on fan fiction net under "Personal Canon". That will at least give you the bare facts of Tim's background. FYI for those of you in the know: only one of Tim and Sarah's OC brothers is in this story and the 'clan' members are just mentioned.

2) This story is one of two resulting from a question put to me by a reader while I was posting either AWP or FH, I can't find the original message, don't remember who asked or my response, sorry! The question itself is posted at the end of the story, as I don't want to give everything away. Whoever the poser of the question was, thank you for asking, took me years to find ways to make it work!

Ok, so here we go… Alternate View #1 of my personal McGee canon universe!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Arlington, VA, Six Months Later

Gibbs parked the new truck in the driveway, hearing his little girl calling for him as soon as he stepped foot on the walkway. "Daddy, Daddy!" He smiled, he loved Kelly to distraction; one of his favorite things was coming home to her and Shannon. Of course, he hated leaving again, but at least for now he was based at Quantico, not too far from home.

He'd pulled back-to-back shifts so he'd be home for several days straight through. He did that a couple times a month so he and Shannon could gain more traction in renovating their house. It'd been a mess when they bought it; that's why they could afford it in the first place, that and the money their folks chipped in. It was better now that they'd put on a new roof, installed central heat and air, had the whole place rewired, rebuilt the stairs to the second floor, refurbished the master bedroom, adding a master bath and renovating Kelly's room and the hallway bath. Thanks to an international crisis that pulled Jethro away for a lengthy deployment, Kelly was born before the work was done upstairs and the three of them lived on the first floor until she was nearly a year old.

Now she was two; they'd saved more money and were approaching the bigger house projects: kitchen, the two spare rooms, expanding the half bath downstairs to add a shower and lastly, the basement, which would be a family room in addition to Gibbs' workshop. Shannon said the kitchen and bath were the top priorities so that's what would come next. A friend who was a plumber had offered a couple days of his time so the bathroom would happen first, then the kitchen. Jackson was driving down from Stillwater before dawn tomorrow to help Jethro with the prep work. Shannon and Jethro had been amused to discover they were both pretty good at renovating but looked forward to having Jack's help along with the professional plumber's.

Walking in the front door, Jethro scooped his toddler daughter into his arms and they exchanged their favorite greeting: high fives and kisses from Daddy along with happy squeals and smoochy kisses from Kelly. Shannon watched with a smile and then was careful not to squish their child as her husband greeted her with a kiss.

The three of them walked into the kitchen and Kelly, still in her daddy's arms, patted his jacket pocket. "Daddy present?"

He shook his head, "No Kels, no present." Setting her down on the floor, he pulled a manila envelope out of his pocket. "Got this on base yesterday."

Shannon took it from him, as Kelly wanted more attention from him. It was addressed to Gibbs' APO and the return address was in California.

"Ooh, from a lawyer's office! Maybe a long-lost relative left you money!" They laughed at that.

"No idea. Go ahead and open it."

"Oh no. It's addressed to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, not me. Isn't that a federal law?"

He rolled his eyes at her as he took the envelope back and tore the top flap. Then he was quiet but Shannon watched his face and saw surprise, shock and anger. He read one sheet of paper and then pulled out another and read that. When he was finished reading he stuffed both back in the envelope. "Let's talk after dinner."

She nodded, figuring he meant once Kelly was in bed. Must be serious.

After dinner, playtime, bath and story time, Kelly finally drifted off to sleep and her parents, arms wrapped around each other, walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

Shannon poured coffee for both of them, "All right, Gibbs, what is it?"

He gave her a woebegone smile. "Your senior year of high school, when I was in San Diego."

"And we'd broken up. Although really my mother broke us up because I was too scared to disobey her. Anyway, San Diego…you dated that girl Tori before I quit listening to my mother and wrote to you that I was my own woman."

He nodded, sighing, "Yeah. There are two letters, one from the attorney telling me the guy who wrote the second letter is now dead. The dead guy was Tori's husband. Turns out she died in 1979. Left behind two sons. And the older of those two is mine."

Shannon's eyes widened, her mouth opened and shut. "How old is he? Oh my Lord, Jethro, he's an orphan or thinks he is. Where is he? What about his brother?"

"He was born in November 1977 so he's almost 10. His name is Timothy and Shan," he sighed, "the husband, Dan and the second son, Patrick were killed in a car crash. Tim survived and was in the hospital for several weeks before he was discharged. He also has a little sister and both of them have vanished."

He handed her the letters; she read the attorney's letter, then the father's…stepfather's letter, that one brought tears to her eyes.

The man wrote of his love for his wife, how he hadn't given a second thought to the fact that she was carrying someone else's child when they met. He'd loved that child since his birth, rarely even remembering that he hadn't started out as his son. But it was time to let his biological father know and he regretted that he hadn't done so earlier. He'd grieved so long and hard for his lost love that he couldn't bear the thought of losing or even sharing her child, his oldest son. Even now, he didn't know if he'd ever have the courage to tell the boy but wanted to make sure that if he wasn't around to raise Tim, his original father would at least be told. He was a fine boy, bright and loving, curious about everything, both a wonderful son and big brother to his younger brother and baby sister.

Finishing the letter, Shannon wiped her eyes and saw that Jethro had spilled the rest of the contents of the manila envelope onto the table and was sorting through photos. "He included photos?"

"Huh?"

Shannon looked up and saw her husband staring at a photo of a darling little boy with big green eyes. "Wow, hon, he looks like that guy…oh, you know, he's a cousin of your mother's. We met him at our party at your dad's."

They'd had a very small wedding and reception in Shannon's hometown, followed months later by a large party Jackson threw for them in Jethro's hometown of Stillwater, Pennsylvania. Shannon preferred to think of that one as their reception, it had certainly been more fun than the too fussy event her mother insisted they have.

"The Baxters?"

"Yes, uh, Richard I think."

"Nephew."

"He was your mom's nephew?"

"Yeah, he's older than her or would be if she was alive." He grunted in frustration, "He was born before her, his father was her older brother."

She nodded, putting the letter and photo down. "So how do we find them?"

"Shan, we don't have the money to look for this kid!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted to take them back, they couldn't just let the kid disappear and not do anything about it.

"Jethro, he's ours! And if we can find them, we'll bring the little girl home too."

He stared at her, wondering how the heck they were going to handle this financially.

She tapped him on the arm. "Call that Franks guy."

"Franks?"

"Yes, that agent from NIS. Wasn't Tim a Navy dependent? He's certainly a Marine dependent. There must be an inquiry or something. And their office isn't that far from here, we could go talk with them."

Jethro had had his first personal dealings with NIS several weeks before when a Lance Corporal was being looked at for a particularly heinous murder. He'd busted the LC for a drunk and disorderly the night in question and during the hours surrounding the time of the murder, the guy was passed out in the brig, sleeping it off. He'd met with Agent Mike Franks, gave him a copy of his log report as well as the notes he'd jotted down right after he hauled the LC into the hoosegow. For some reason, having copies of both ready for the agent had really impressed the man. When they'd wrapped up the case (the murderer was a civilian), Franks called him and asked him to keep NIS in mind when he was ready to leave active service. Gibbs was a sniper in Special Forces; he figured if his eyesight or hand-eye coordination ever started to slip, he'd think about the reserves, so yeah then NIS might be a viable option.

Now he calmed, "That's a great idea, Hon. Think I'll call now, I can at least leave a message for him."

He'd stuck the business card in their 'catchall' drawer and now dug it out. Dialing the number, he looked at the time, 2053; if the man was still at work, he was probably neck deep in a case.

He tensed when the phone was answered.

"Franks."

"Agent Franks, Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We met at Quantico two months ago during the Rawlson murder investigation."

"Sure, I remember you and your notepad. You ready to join up, Gunny?"

"No, not calling for that. I just got a letter from an attorney telling me I have a kid I didn't know about, who's been raised by a Navy officer named Dan McGee. McGee died with another kid in a car crash a few months ago and the attorney's telling me the kid who's supposedly mine and his little sister have vanished. Figure they're Navy dependents and the boy might be a Marine dependent, hoping NIS is looking for them."

"Huh, that's something. Know where and when all this took place, the car crash?"

"NAS Alameda." Gibbs found the date of the car crash in the attorney's letter and told the agent.

"NAS Alameda just closed, moved the Carrier Group out here. Ok…hang on." Jethro heard him talking to someone, telling him to find the case for McGee, Dan, a car crash in northern California, to start with former NAS Alameda, near San Francisco.

"Gibbs - got one of my guys looking for the file, probably being handled by Seattle or San Diego. Not that you need to worry about that. While we're waiting, any chance you can bring in what you have so we can take copies? We'll redact any parts that aren't relevant."

"Uh, yes, I can do that tomorrow."

"Good, ok, in the meantime we'll have some phone conversations; see who's on it on the west coast. Kids' names?"

"Timothy and Sarah McGee."

"Ages?"

"Timothy will be 10 this month, no idea about the little girl."

"All right we'll figure it out. First, we find out who's working on it out there and then as parent of one of the kids, you'll be updated and kept in the loop."

"Appreciate it. They sent me photos, you want those too?"

"Yeah, Gunny, we always want photos! What time you figure you'll be in?"

"0930."

"All right, bring your military ID and tell the guard you're here to see me. If we get called out, I'll leave word for another agent here."

"Good." Gibbs disconnected and looked at his wife who smiled at him, saying, "I remembered you telling me that you spoke with Tori after she was married."

Jethro nodded, angry again. "My dad taught me to check back when I'd been intimate with someone. She never said a word."

Shannon took his hand, "Then it was on her, sweetheart."

"But why would anyone do that, withhold news like that? I mean I could see if the guy was a jerk or abusive or maybe married, but I wasn't any of those things. And he's as much my son as hers."

"Yes he is and I don't know. It seems cruel but we may never know." She decided to be practical. "We need to get that bathroom done and fix up the bedrooms. Maybe the little girl is close to Kelly's age. At any rate, Kelly will love having a big brother!"

He smiled, "That's my Shan, ready to save the world."

"You fight for their freedom, Marine; I'll give them a home!"

They snuggled for a few minutes before resuming their conversation.

"Dad will be here in the morning. Do you want to come with me to NIS and leave Kelly with him?"

She thought about it, "Yes I'll come with you but let's take Kelly too, that way he can get to work. We're already behind; at least he can get going."

"Good idea and I'm not sure I want to tell him right away."

She smirked at him, "Because he's gonna yell at you. Don't worry, I got your back, you gave her a chance to tell you. Making that call after getting letters from both your girls."

He closed his eyes, making an unhappy face. "She was not my gi…ok, she was but we knew it was temporary, until she found her officer and I got deployed or sent somewhere for more training. We weren't serious. Just…young and stupid I guess."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Jack pulled into the driveway around 0830 the next morning and after playing with his adorable granddaughter for a few minutes, asked his son, "Leroy, what's going on? Shannon seems fine but you're tense."

"Not with you, Dad. Got a letter that's pretty strange, here." He handed over both letters and Jack skimmed them. Brows furrowed, he opened his mouth just as Shannon appeared, handing him a mug of coffee, "Before you say a word, Jackson, Jethro did follow up with this woman, Tori. He told me all about it at the time. She was newly married and all happy and never said a word about being pregnant with a baby Gibbs."

He shut his mouth with a snap and Shannon twinkled at both men. "Now, here's what we're doing. Tim and his sister are missing so we called NIS last night and they're working on it. They want copies of this stuff so we're going to the NIS office this morning to do that. We'll take Kelly with us so you can get started in the bathroom. We're really going to need that now with two more kids in the house! Need to let the Navy search for them while we get ready for them."

Jack opened his mouth to ask another question, thought better of it, kissed his daughter-in-law on the cheek, ruffled his son's hair, kissed the top of Kelly's head, picked up his toolbox and headed into the downstairs bathroom.

The Gibbses walked into the NIS office at 0930 with Kelly in her stroller. They were escorted to a conference room where Agent Franks and one of his team, an Agent Balboa, joined them. Franks read the documents while Balboa made copies first of the photos and then of the documents themselves.

Franks nodded when he finished reading. "Thanks for coming in. Let me tell you what we've found so far; it's gotten more complicated."

He paused, "San Diego was handling the case. They reported this was a hit and run, already a cold case and said all three children were killed in the crash. That's complication #1.

"Because you'd given us the attorney's name, Balboa called them while I was on the phone with San Diego; the attorney said Timothy survived the crash and they faxed hospital records to us, including the one showing his release to a Natalie McGee who is listed as his stepmother, although she was not supposed to be their guardian. Because the hospital had a previous kidnapping of a minor patient, the staff took photos of Tim and his sister Sarah, who's 3 by the way, and the stepmother as they left with her. Those photos are on their way to us and will be a big help.

"Notes in the file indicate the investigating agent was contacted by a physician at the hospital telling the agent that Timothy died from his injuries. And because that meant that everyone in that car was now dead, NIS San Diego did jack sh…uh diddlysquat about the case. That has now been corrected - more about that in a minute. However as a result, the people who were supposed to be guardians for Patrick and Sarah were told by the stepmother that they were dead. None of them questioned her, called the hospital or the local police department. That's Complication #2.

"One thing we do know for sure is the date Natalie McGee took Tim from the hospital. Two weeks earlier, she rented a house nearby. The hospital records show that Tim was brought in for a checkup; he also had walking casts put on his legs on a specific date. So we're starting from that date. We know Mrs. McGee has also disappeared and/or changed her name and appearance. However, it looks like the kids disappeared first so we're concentrating on tracing them.

"And the rest of the case is probably going to be classified. It looks nasty so far."

Shannon asked what a cold case was and Balboa explained. Gibbs wanted to know why it had gone cold and Franks sighed. "Because of the classified nature of some of the case, strange as that sounds. Our director has been informed of the case, the delay and who, I mean what caused it and it's become our top priority, to find the children and to investigate the hit and run as well as other aspects. No excuse, NIS has bungled this from day one but I wanted you to know the case has plenty of attention now."

Gibbs shook his head in frustration, "Is there anything we can do? Anything I can do? Fly out west and talk with people? Try to track down the kids ourselves?"

Franks leaned in, "These children are part of our mandate to protect U.S. Navy and Marine Corps dependents and we failed. Let us do our jobs and when we find a specific location, it might be possible for you to join us, we'll see when we get there."

Balboa finally spoke, "Are you familiar with the Milk Carton Program, where the photos and a brief biography of missing children are placed on the sides of milk cartons?"

Shannon nodded and the young agent continued, "Timothy and Sarah's photos are being added to the next batch of milk cartons being produced today. They'll be circulated nationally and I understand there are some that go outside of the country. Anyone who's seen them will be directed to call a toll-free number."

Franks nodded, "Reminds me, Gunny, Missus, the attorney asked that you call them, something about having funds to offer a reward for the kids."

The pair nodded, they planned to contact the attorney's office today. Jethro had one other question, "What about other family, friends; Commander McGee's letter indicated his best friends would be named guardians of the children."

"Yeah, we're working on locating them." Franks nodded and Gibbs recognized a dismissal.

"You'll keep us updated?"

"Yes, daily." He paused before adding, "One more thing you should know. We spent most of the night checking across the country, had our ME contacting everyone he knows and those folks called everyone _they_ know. From what we've been able to pull together from all that, going back to the last day they were seen, there have been no unidentified children's bodies that match Tim and Sarah. We're also searching hospitals but that will take longer. We believe the kids are alive; they may be in hiding."

Shannon sighed in relief while Gibbs shook his head, "Tim's not even 10 with a 3- year-old toddler and he's recovering from broken legs with walking casts! How is that even possible?"

Franks' tone was calm; it was a valid concern. "Won't know that until we find them."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

The Gibbses left with Kelly, emotionally exhausted. On the way home, they outlined their questions for the attorney and what preparations they needed to make to their home and lives for Tim and Sarah. Other than that, they'd have to just take things day by day.

When they got home and told Jack, he shook his head and handed his son a sledgehammer. "Got a whole wall to take out, Leroy, it'll feel good."

Later conferring with the attorney in California, the Gibbses agreed to an amount for the reward, from the trust fund set aside for Tim. They also decided to take the advice of the attorney and do what was necessary to become qualified foster parents. That way if there was any question about Tim or Sarah coming home with them, they could be their foster parents until things were settled.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

NIS got busy; finding the missing children and solving the cold case became two of the agency's highest priorities. After a fair amount of discussion with the director, Franks and Balboa flew to northern California, warrants in hand, to work on tracing the kids. In the meantime, Riley McCallister, the Special Agent in Charge who'd pulled his agents from the hit and run murder case, found himself under investigation by Internal Affairs and subsequently demoted, transferred to NIS' farthest outpost and told to expect criminal negligence charges if the missing children were harmed in any way. The agent who'd begun investigating the hit and run when it happened was recalled from the tiny office he'd been sent to after protesting the SAIC's decision and was again given the lead on the re-opened, high priority case. The director was tempted to have the agent and his former boss change places but ultimately decided against it.

First visiting the hospital in Oakland where Tim was a patient, Franks and Balboa verified all the records and then contacted the school the boys attended. That led to meetings with the kids' teachers who gave them information about Tim as a person and provided names of neighbors and friends. Any piece of information might produce a lead and they were building a profile of the kid, believing it would help find him. They were encouraged to hear that Tim was very bright, had been a scout and was used to taking care of his sister, brother and himself. The agents knew from the hospital records that Tim had suffered brain damage that included a massive memory loss and only remembered his immediate family although he retained general knowledge.

As the search team traced the kids' whereabouts, they were kept up to date on the findings on the hit and run. While the agents would not come right out and say it, they understood that Natalie McGee was the prime suspect. Franks added Dan McGee's note, the one attached to his will, to the case file and the content of that further fueled their suspicions. There was also the fact that a marriage license for Natalie and Dan McGee couldn't be found anywhere in the U.S. or Japan where they'd been supposedly married. Franks was sure it had been a variation of a 'honey trap' and wasn't surprised when the lead agent agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

The investigating team continued to pull together evidence for the hit and run while the search team found someone who said they remembered Sarah saying she was going on a bus. That was the mother of the little girl Sarah had been playing with at the time of the hit and run. She said Natalie dropped her stepdaughter off a couple of times afterwards, saying she needed time to get their lives organized. They also found a home health aide who had visited Tim regularly during the weeks between his release from the hospital and his disappearance. She'd seen Tim once after he got his walking casts and took photos of both children that day, complete with his lower legs encased in the black boots. That was also the day Natalie told her she wouldn't be needed anymore, that the children would be moving away. She was clear about that, the woman said 'the children', not including herself. She also remembered seeing a piece of paper with directions to the bus station in San Francisco. It had been sitting on top of Mrs. McGee's purse that last day.

Franks and Balboa had copies made of the photos of Tim in his walking casts and showed them around the main bus station in San Francisco. The ticket sellers didn't remember him but a janitor did, he said 'the woman' paid him $20 to help the boy onto the bus. The man said indignantly, "He was just a kid and the girl was tiny, I couldn't believe their mama didn't get on with them."

When pressed for more information he sat and thought about it, finally remembering the driver of the bus. "I know him a little. He's been in here before, once he was short of change for the vending machine and I gave it to him. The next time he was here he came and found me, paid me back. His name is Steve…Mobley, that's it, his last name."

When asked, the janitor added, "Well, I've seen him here a few times so I guess he's a regular driver for the company. You can ask at the office, it's upstairs. I'll take you."

They followed Mr. Lewis to the administrative office where they met with the station manager. When they explained there were two children missing that had last been seen here and on a bus driven by one of their drivers, they quickly added they had no reason to suspect the driver or the bus company of any wrongdoing, they were searching for the kids. Satisfied, the manager verified that Steve Mobley was a company driver. Anxious to help, he called their central office to find where Mobley would be in the next 48 hours. While they waited for that information, the manager showed them the log of bus departures and destinations. Looked like the kids might have been headed for Baltimore, Maryland or Raleigh, North Carolina. Now they had the date the kids officially went missing and possible destinations. That was progress!

Pleased to hear that driver Steve Mobley would pull into Columbus, Ohio, the next day, the agents thanked the manager, called the airlines and arranged to arrive before he did. They were in place at the bus station in Columbus when the bus pulled in. The driver was not happy to be pulled off but when he was briefed by the station manager, he nodded. "I'm happy to help any way I can."

Balboa showed him the health aide's photo of Tim and Sarah. "Mm, it's been months, are those walking casts?"

"Yes."

"Then yeah, I remember those two, felt badly for them. Poor kid couldn't get on or off the bus by himself; I helped him a few times. Other passengers helped him and gave them food, think I did too. The little girl was a charmer; she had the ladies wrapped around her little finger. I remember helping the boy off in Baltimore. I carried their bags into the waiting room for them."

"That was their destination then?"

"Yes. I drove on to Raleigh but they were off the bus."

"Remember anything else?"

Mobley sat and thought for a minute. "Yes; when we got into Baltimore and I got them and their luggage to the waiting room, I remember him looking for the people who were supposed to meet him, you know like someone with a sign. He asked me if we were early. I said no but that his folks could be stuck in traffic or something. He said something a little strange, that they weren't his folks; they were his stepmother's cousins. I didn't much like the sound of that but you know, families are made up of all kinds of different people these days. I made sure they had something to eat and drink; slipped some money into his jacket and then I had to leave. The company docks my pay if I'm late without reason." He sighed, "I should have told someone, never thought of it."

They thanked him for the information and hightailed it to the airport. While Balboa checked flights, Franks called Gibbs with an update, belatedly realizing it was only 1500 and the Gunny probably wasn't home. Mrs. Gunny answered and was happy to hear the encouraging news.

"Is there any way we can help look in Baltimore?"

"Know anyone who lives there?"

"Yes, a friend from college."

"If you can find out what's close to the bus station that would be helpful. Also if there are shelters that take in stray kids."

"Oh I know that, Jethro and I volunteered in a soup kitchen there with Kym, that's my friend. There's one close, as I remember only a few blocks. It's the 59th St. Mission shelter."

"Great! We'll be there in a couple of hours if we can get a flight, otherwise we'll be there in about 6 hours."

"We can go look."

"No, ma'am. Still our job. Let us narrow the search first. It's what we're paid to do."

"All right."

Franks sighed as he hung up. He was tired, they'd been looking for these kids for a month now, the bulk of the time spent in California ferreting out any information that would give them a direction. And waiting, for copies of records, for copies of photos, for call-backs and meetings. Still, considering it had been 7 months since they'd disappeared he was encouraged that they'd been able to trace the kids as far as Baltimore. Of course, they could have actually been met by the cousins and taken anywhere in the area, but his gut wasn't feeling that.

Balboa returned shaking his head, the next flight left at 2000 but would make two stops, not touching down in Baltimore until 0030; they could drive there and beat the plane. As Franks said, "I could walk there faster!"

Renting a new model vehicle, something called a Sports Utility Vehicle, they went through the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant, eating on the way. Balboa drove while Franks slept. When he woke, they stopped for coffee, swapping drivers, reaching the city limits of Baltimore at 2230 hours. They'd driven through a couple of snow showers but it was really coming down now. Franks was pleased to discover they had 4 Wheel drive on this vehicle, could come in handy if the weather got any worse.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tim needed to move his legs but Sarah had crawled in with him and there wasn't much room. His legs hurt and he was cold. Finally waking up enough, he grabbed Sarah's sleeping bag and draped it over them. When that didn't help, he scrambled out of the bag, gently moving it, and putting Sarah's bag underneath his. He hoped that would keep out some of the cold seeping through the thin layer of nylon that was the floor of the old tent. He also grabbed the rest of his socks, putting another pair on his feet and a pair on his hands. That was all he had; it would have to do. He settled down again, pulling his little sister to him to keep her warm. She already wore a hat, jacket, two pairs of socks and gloves on top of her pajamas.

He was drifting off to sleep again when he heard people talking and then Nate calling, pounding on something metal, "Kids, all you kids, wake up and pack up. You're going to the shelter tonight."

Groaning, he let Sarah sleep while he pulled out her sleeping bag, rolling it up and stuffing it into her 'case. Then he woke her and got shoes on her while she leaned against him. He had to take a pair of socks off to get his own shoes on, but then his bag was in his 'case and they were ready.

When he appeared outside the tent, their friend Geordie was just coming to get them. "C'mon, Tim. When it gets too cold, the shelter takes in all the kids, then everyone else if there's room."

He nodded, joining the rest of the kids in the snow for the 2-block walk to the shelter. There were 7 kids, although the oldest was 18, not really a kid anymore. Tim carried Sarah and Geo took his case. That just left Sarah's smaller case and by now Tim had carrying her while pulling her case down to a science. He didn't know what they would do without Geordie though. He'd been their friend since the first day at the bus station. Tim counted back and realized it had been another month, 7 months now since he and Sarah were abandoned.

He was 10 now; he'd had a birthday. He'd had a whole peanut butter sandwich that day, the first whole sandwich or whole anything else he'd had in a long time. Although he hoped the ingredients had come from a food bank, he didn't ask. He was pretty sure his friends stole the bread and the jar of peanut butter so he wrote both items down on his list of things to replace, to pay back when he could.

He looked at Geo, "How long do we get to stay at the shelter?"

"As long as it's snowing or below freezing but they have to wait for their bosses to tell them."

"Isn't that all winter?"

"Depends, sometimes they run out of money to house all of us."

"Then what?"

"We scrounge wood for the oil drums. Littles sleep in Juanita's tent, you can too."

"What about you?"

"We double up in sleeping bags, like me and Barry would share one and then we'd have one to help keep us warm."

"Oh, body warmth."

"Yeah. Two years ago, they opened the gymnasium at the high school and took all us kids there. There were back-to-back storms so there wasn't any school and we were allowed to stay for a whole week, inside all day long, with heat, hot showers, food and cots. They brought in a TV and we got to watch that!"

"Wow!" The closest they normally got to a TV was the one that was rolled into classrooms for special events or at the library to watch movies from the VCR. They were luckier with showers - those came with gym classes. Cots to sleep on were nonexistent at the camp (they'd be stolen anyway) and food, real food, was difficult to obtain, there was never enough.

They reached the shelter and Ms. Lu, one of the staff, welcomed them. "Come in, children. We have hot chocolate for you, take a seat at the table and we'll get it served."

Tim liked Ms. Lu. When he and Sarah first arrived in Baltimore, they'd found a lady who was willing to be their 'shelter' mother but after a few weeks, she and her little boy disappeared and never came back. Ms. Lu let them stay a few extra days, pretending not to notice they were unaccompanied by an adult. Tim's legs were still bad then and he had a hard time walking around, so breakfast and dinner at the shelter was a big help. But then Ms. Lu had time off and Mrs. Haney worked in her place. She wouldn't let them in. Sometimes Ms. Lu let the kids in for showers and whatever food she could spare, especially because there were 7 kids at the homeless camp and usually only 4 kids at the shelter. But Tim thought she could only do that when Mrs. Haney wasn't around; she was the boss, strict and mean.

The kids sat together at a table and sipped at their hot chocolate, an almost unheard-of treat. Then they were led into the sleeping rooms and Tim exhaled a sigh of relief when all the camp kids were allowed to stay together. Geordie and Barry were 13 so they could have been forced to go over to the men's side to stay. Staying together was another good thing.

Once the kids were in and settled, they heard more people coming in and Geordie nudged Tim. "Bet Nate sent everyone else over."

"Will he come?"

"Nope, he, Juanita and Big John stay to watch the tents and stuff. He's afraid the cops would tear them down if there's nobody there and we'd have to find other places to go."

It was quiet and warm and didn't take long for the kids to fall asleep.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

When the NIS agents reached the bus station in Baltimore, they drove carefully through the accumulating snow down 59th until they saw the mission shelter, groaning when they saw the doors were closed. There was a sign on the front that said they were full; the doors would open again at 4:00 PM the next day, first come first served. A note underneath said that children under 18 and pregnant women would be sheltered first.

In need of showers and sleep, they drove back into the city center and found a hotel. The next day was Saturday, at least they wouldn't have to worry about the McGee kids being at school or wherever young Sarah went while her brother was in school. If they were even at this shelter but this was the only lead they had in Baltimore. If it didn't pan out, they'd continue to search the city and the surrounding towns.

After a hearty and very early breakfast, the pair drove back to the shelter and went around to the back door, where they heard sounds in what they assumed was the kitchen. When they knocked, nobody answered so they pounded and that got results.

A pinch-faced woman probably in her mid- 50's answered the door, a big guy standing behind her. "We're still closed. If the temperatures remain low you may come in for the day but we don't have word on that yet. Check back around 10 AM."

The men showed their badges and IDs while Franks began to talk.

"Ma'am, I'm Agent Mike Franks and he's Agent Alonzo Balboa, we're with NIS, that's the Naval Investigative Service. We're looking for a young boy, 10 years old and his little sister who's 3; they've been missing for several months. His name is Tim, hers is Sarah." From the look on her face, she knew something about the kids.

"You may come in out of the cold for a cup of coffee but you may not speak with the children without a parent or guardian present." They nodded and came in after again showing their badges and id. She stopped them, "No weapons on the premises."

"Ma'am, we're required by federal law to carry them; we'll keep the safeties on." She sighed and turned to the big guy who was still hovering behind her. "Larry, go ask Nate or Big John to come over."

"But Miz Haney, it's cold out."

"Then you'd better hurry."

When the two men were ushered into the kitchen, they asked for a phone and the woman glowered at them. "Who are you calling?"

"The kids' guardians."

"Do they live nearby?"

Balboa had this one, knowing his boss's limited supply of patience was nearly exhausted. "No ma'am, we'll call our office on an 800 number so it won't cost anything and then one of our agents will bring them here."

"How long will that take?"

"They live in Arlington VA, so possibly two hours, ma'am."

The woman sniffed, "I expect we'll keep the camp kids here until this storm passes, so yes. Just stay far away from everyone. Realize that some of our adult guests can be mentally unbalanced. I don't want any trouble - and no contact with the children."

When Al called the office, the director got on the line. "Where the hell are you two?"

"Baltimore, Sir. We flew to Ohio yesterday and drove here last night."

"You find the kids?"

"We believe so, Sir; we're at a homeless shelter and the woman running it recognized the names. They won't allow us to talk with any of the kids without a guardian and that's why I'm calling, to have someone bring the Gibbses here."

"All right, I'll handle that. What's the address?"

Balboa gave it to him and got off the phone, wiping the sweat off his face. Franks laughed, "You get stuck talking with the boss?"

"Yeah, he didn't know where we were."

"Oops." He clapped his agent on the back, "Cheer up, we've only got another 6 or 7 years before he retires."

Both men involuntarily inhaled when a door opened to the right of them and Tim and Sarah McGee walked out, another kid accompanying them. Sarah was holding onto her brother's little finger while he rolled two suitcases behind them; the other boy had a case of his own. The door had barely closed when it opened again and three more boys entered with suitcases.

They sat down at a table and two of Tim's friends went to the steamtable to get breakfast. When they returned, Tim whispered something to Sarah who nodded and took the hand of the boy with them when they entered the room. Then Tim and the rest of the boys went to the steamtable. The agents noticed Tim was limping. One of the other boys carried a second plate of food for him while Tim had a plate, three cartons of milk and three juice boxes. The men frowned when they noticed the kids had their plates piled high but not all with the hot food. Finally Al said, "I bet it's for later, see they each have rolls and it looks like eggs, maybe hardboiled."

The two agents slowly sipped their coffee. They'd each slipped a $20 bill into the donation can and the pinch-faced woman thawed a bit. "For that, you can have coffee until the children's guardians get here."

Nodding their thanks, they returned to their lonely outpost and were still kid watching when the double doors behind them creaked open and a mountain on two legs moved into the room. Balboa watched him, fascinated, while Franks noticed that the shoulders of about half the people in the room relaxed, especially the kids', who'd all turned around to see who was coming in.

Mrs. Haney hurried to the man and pointed to them. He turned to them, "Understand you're interested in two of the kids."

"That's right; we're federal agents who have been looking for Tim and Sarah McGee."

The man grunted, "Why and how long?"

Balboa decided to jump in, "Their father and brother were killed and they disappeared before their guardians could be notified. They've been missing for 7 months now but we just heard about it a month ago."

"What brought you here?"

"We found the bus driver who drove them from California to Baltimore. He helped them get off the bus because Tim had walking casts on. When we talked with him, he remembered nobody met them."

The man grunted again, that tracked with what Tim had told him and Juanita. He then moved towards the table with the boys and Sarah. He sat down carefully and the boys' heads bent toward him while little Sarah kept eating. Then Nate put his hand on Sarah and said something to her and she stopped eating, although she was clearly pouting.

Franks frowned, "What was that about? Why he'd stop her eating? All of them look underweight."

Balboa was remembering something his wife, a nurse, told him. "If you usually don't get enough to eat, when you do get food and eat too much or too fast, you'll get sick, throw it up."

"Oh geez. This should not be happening, Al, kids in America homeless and hungry like this."

"Don't know why they're not in foster care, Boss."

The big man was moving back toward them and Franks moved down the bench to give him room. "Name's Nate. I stay over at the park; those kids stay there too. We take care of 'em best we can, at least keep an eye on 'em. Can't usually feed 'em but we try."

"Any reason they're not in foster care?"

With a mighty sigh, the man told them why and the horrified feds promised to look into the problems immediately. It seemed there were people in the foster system taking advantage of the kids, molesting and abusing them. They weren't sure what NIS could do but at least they could bring the problem to light.

Al put more money in the donation jar and with a nod from Mrs. Haney, got a cup of coffee and a plate of food for Nate. He was still eating, slowly, and talking with them when Agent Stover came in the back door with the Gibbses. Franks was amused to see baby Kelly with them; she squealed when she saw him.

Nate left his food and coffee to join Mrs. Haney. The two of them talked with the Gibbses for a few minutes while the three agents waited, Stover joining Franks and Balboa.

Mrs. Haney and the big guy Nate looked at the letters and photos from the attorney and Tim's stepfather. Then they looked at the foster parents' certificate the Gibbses brought with them. Finally, they nodded and took the Gibbses to the boys' table. The Gibbses asked to speak with Tim and Sarah but Tim said he wouldn't speak with anyone unless the others were allowed to stay. The list of adults he trusted was short, limited to Nate, Juanita and Ms. Lu and neither of the two women were here.

The three agents stayed back; Franks and Balboa would talk to Tim about the case later but the important thing now was to unite him with his father. Even if he'd never met the man.

Tim looked at the new people. Geordie had already spotted the haircut and thought the guy might be a Marine. And their little girl was cute, reminded Tim of Sarah. Suddenly he missed his brother and stopped listening for a few minutes. But then the lady spoke with him and he listened. She was beautiful, with red hair and a pretty smile; she seemed nice. Natalie had small mean eyes and had never once been nice so maybe this lady was all right. He frowned when he was told the Marine guy was his real dad.

"No you're not. My dad is dead, killed in a wreck last spring. With my brother. That's why we're here. I don't know who you are."

"I'm your biological father. Your mother and I were close and then I got sent away for work and she married Dan McGee."

Tim knew how babies were made; he'd learned many things living on the street. He frowned, "What did you do to my mother?"

"We were close, Tim. I wasn't mean to her, we were close and yes, we made you, but we weren't in love."

Tim looked at him with his best blank expression. He wasn't quite sure what any of this meant. "Why are you telling me this?"

The pretty lady spoke again, "Because we'd like you and Sarah to come live with us and your sister."

"Sarah is my sister."

The lady smiled, "Sorry, I meant your other sister, Kelly."

The little girl heard her name and babbled, reaching out to pat Tim's face. Sarah said something back to her and then grinned. "She likes us, Timmy."

"How do I know you won't hurt us or abandon us like Natalie did?"

Nate moved in. He'd been watching the young couple and decided they were okay. He just didn't know if taking Tim and Sarah away would break Geordie's heart. And he really wished all 6 of the kids could be taken in.

"Timmo, you trust me?"

Tim nodded, "Yes sir."

"I believe these people. Whether this man is really your original father or not, he does have a good heart and so does the lady. They want you and Sarah to be part of their family. You can always come back here, right?"

He looked at the couple and the three agents who all nodded, although none of them understood why anyone would ever want to come back here.

Tim looked at his friends, "What about Geordie, Barry, Jose and Freddie? They need homes, can they come too?"

Shannon had already made up her mind about that. They'd take all 6 kids for now and hope the older boys could be placed close by. She looked at her husband who smiled at the look in her eyes; he didn't want to leave anyone behind either. Smiling at each other, they nodded and Tim relaxed, they were all going!

"We'll have to ride in two cars. Agent Franks?"

"Yes ma'am, we have room in our car."

Balboa was suddenly glad the rental agency in Columbus had only had the big vehicle left; he'd worried all the way from Ohio about the expense account. And now he wondered how his wife would feel about a foster kid or two, maybe four. After ten years of marriage, they hadn't been blessed with any children. They'd taken in foster children now and then but nobody who'd stayed for more than a couple of months. He hadn't seen the Gibbs' house but knew it was in Arlington, probably in the same school district so perhaps the kids wouldn't be too far apart.

Jethro and Shannon smiled in relief as around them, people started to cheer and applaud. Tim looked startled but managed a smile when Sarah and the other little girl giggled.

As they stood to go, the kids all looked at their plates, still full of the food they'd planned to take with them. Smiling for once, Mrs. Haney nodded to them. Tim pulled a plastic bag from his case and passed it along to the boys who put most of their 'extra' food in. When it came back to Tim, he tied it shut and gave it to Nate.

"Thanks for taking care of us. We won't forget you or this place." He looked at the others and smiled, "We'll be back when we're grown, to help where we can."

Nate solemnly accepted the plastic bag of food and then shook the hands of each boy and Sarah when her brother lifted her up. "You kids be good. Mind your parents, your manners and stay in school! You know that's the important thing, stay out of trouble, respect each other and stay in school."

Tim was feeling bad about not saying goodbye to Ms. Lu and Juanita when the back door squeaked open and Ms. Lu hurried into the room, throwing a smile at Mrs. Haney. "Thanks for calling me. Oh, my dear boys and Sarah I'm so happy for you all!" She quickly gave each a kiss and a little piece of paper that Tim later discovered had her phone number on it.

All of them relaxed and the kids grabbed their suitcases. Tim was surprised when his new dad grabbed his and then put his arm around his shoulders while his new mom took Sarah's case and took his little sister's hand. With a smile, Gibbs said, "Come on, kids, it's time to go home!"


	4. Chapter 4

This story has been brought to you due to a suggestion from Aleta6. Thank you!

Chapter 3

Epilogue

Johns Hopkins University

Eight Years Later

Tim blinked back tears as he stood below the steps, waiting to walk the stage for his Bachelor's of Science degree. He missed Mom and Kelly more than ever today and knew Dad was having a hard time too, just like at his and Geordie's high school graduation, and Geo's community college graduation last year. Having the McGee and Hubbard relatives, his and Sarah's godparents, Sarah, Geordie and of course Barry, Freddie and Jose around helped some but Mom and Kelly were still not there, would always be missing. Even the presence of wisecracking Agent Mike, up from Mexico for Tim's graduation, wasn't helping much. It was as if some of the light had disappeared from the world, like a permanent overcast.

He never could remember what he'd done that day, the day they'd been killed. He knew from what they'd been told that he, Sarah and Geordie had been with their godmother, Aunty Liz, for a visit but he had no personal memories of that. The next thing he did remember was the funeral and he wouldn't let himself go there today. Dad wouldn't like it and he was sure Mom wouldn't have either.

Instead, he concentrated on the good things just as she'd taught him. Always find some sun, she'd tell him, even if it was just a little tiny ray of sunshine. Warmth, love and laughter counted too.

His mind jumping around, he thought about the first few days after Dad, Mom brought them home from the shelter, how strange, and wonderful they'd been. Sarah was supposed to share a room with Kelly but every night she'd sneak across the hall and climb in with him. They ate three meals a day, three! He'd forgotten about doing that. They didn't have to sleep in tents on the cold ground. He and Geordie shared a room across from Sarah and Kelly while Barry, Freddie and Jose slept in the bigger room downstairs. That was before the three of them went to live with the Balboas. Geordie could have gone too but he was already part of Tim and Sarah's lives and wouldn't leave them. That was okay, his former tent mates were only two blocks away and in the same classes at school. Eight years later and the five of them were still best friends even though Tim was years younger.

Tim smiled inwardly as he remembered the fun times they'd had as a family. Piling everyone into the family minivan, known as the Gibbs-mobile, for one adventure or another. Teaching Kelly and Sarah how to play miniature golf. Watching them ride their kiddie floaters in Chesapeake Bay, helping to teach each of his little sisters to read and the fun of making up stories to tell them. The long drives up to Pennsylvania to Grandpa Jack's and the games Mom would make up to keep from being bored. The first time Geordie was allowed to drive the Gibbs-mobile and how jealous Tim was when his older brother once drove all the way to Stillwater.

Mom teaching them songs, kissing them goodnight and good morning. Her scolding voice when they'd messed up, her hugs when they needed her, Kelly's kisses and her laughter, so much like Dad in some ways and Dad's almost helpless laughter. Nobody had heard that laugh in three years now. Kelly's piano lessons and practices, at first painful for their ears but eventually sounding pretty. The pictures Sarah and Kelly drew together, of the two of them, their parents and their brothers. Dad still had most of them.

When Tim and Geordie graduated from high school, Geordie talked with a Marine recruiter and found he'd have more options for rank if he did two years of community college and earned his Associates degree. He'd done that, finished a year ago and then decided to continue his formal education, get his Bachelor's before joining the USMC. He had one more year to go for his BA and was already working on the application for Officers' Candidate School. He wanted to go into Special Forces like their dad, who wasn't sure how he felt about that. Proud and worried, he guessed.

Sarah was 11 almost 12 now and full of sass. Tim was glad because she brought life to their home, their poor sad home. He was grateful the Cranes, their godparents Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz, decided not to pursue custody of Sarah, to let her grow up with her big brothers, parents and little sister. Even though she'd lost her mother and baby sister as the rest of them had. Sarah was a writer and had already written a book about Mom and Kelly, one that Penny, their McGee grandmother, was working to have published.

Barry was at the Maryland Police Academy while Freddie and Jose were nearing the end of their apprenticeships as plumbers. Their goal was to keep the shelter and homeless camp plumbing going forever. The shelter and camp were still there, complete with Ms. Lu and Ol' Nate. Over the years, all the kids and their parents had returned to help and conditions had improved. The shelter had a bigger budget and Nate had more wood to burn in the three oil drums the camp now had; most of the tents and all of the sleeping bags had been upgraded. The foster care system in Baltimore had improved to the point that there were no longer any children without guardians at the camp, hadn't been in a few years. While Nate claimed he missed taking care of the kids, they knew it was a big relief not to worry about all of them.

Tim's next goal was a Master's in Computer Forensics, for that he'd been accepted at MIT. He was a little nervous about being so far from home but knew he could get to his dad and sister in a few hours. Besides, Geo would be around another year and after that, the guys would still be close by.

When Dad's eyesight degraded enough that he had to leave Special Forces, he moved to the reserves and became first an NIS and then NCIS agent. He'd been made a team leader, inheriting a couple of agents from Franks' old team, Brent Langer and Stan Burley. Al Balboa already had his own team. After Langer moved to the FBI, Dad and his one agent handled cases, "borrowing" agents when they were needed. Dad being Dad, that didn't happen very often.

Tim just hoped his father would remember he had kids who loved him and needed him, especially when he was out chasing bad guys. He figured by the time Sarah was 18 and ready to leave home he'd be back in DC to keep an eye on their father. He was okay most of the time but they'd all seen what happened when he worked on cases with kids involved. Tim figured that was something that was always going to haunt him. He just hoped it wouldn't end up destroying him.

He still had his stepfather's letter to Dad and sometimes read it, thinking how lucky he was to have been blessed with two fathers and two mothers to love him so much. That made him smile and he sent a mental salute to all his parents as his name was called. Turning his head to smile at his father, sister, brother, Grandpa Jack, his grandmothers and the rest of their family, he squared his shoulders and holding his head high, walked across the stage.

The End

NOTE:

Question from Aleta6: What would have happened if Gibbs found Tim at the shelter or camp? Stay tuned for the 2nd story, titled 'Connections' which approaches the same suggestion from a different angle.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

OH boy, I messed this one up! I skipped posting a whole chapter, the one with most of the good stuff! So, please re-read Chapter 3, which is the missing chapter, and the notes I've added to Chapter 4 (previously Ch 3).

From now on, I'm including Prologues in with the first chapter! And no more posting at 3:00 AM!

And good news, I've heard from Aleta6, the poser of the question/suggestion that prompted these stories! YAY!

Also, the first chapter of the 2nd story, 'Connections', will be posted sometime on Sunday, Aug. 27th.


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